It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever fasts Ramadan, out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven.”.

Commentary : This hadith brings great glad tidings from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to the one who is helped to fast the entire month of Ramadan when he is able to do that. Fasting means refraining, with the intention of worship, from eating, drinking, sexual activity and all other things that break the fast, from the break of dawn until the sun sets. Whoever fasts this month “out of faith and in the hope of reward”, believing in the divine command to do it, knowing that it is obligatory, out of fear of punishment for failing to do it, and seeking great reward for his fast – and this is a description of the believer – it is hoped that Allah will forgive him his previous sins, except those that involved transgressions against other people affecting their wealth, honour or physical well-being. Such sins cannot be waived except with their consent, so the person who transgressed against them must seek pardon from those to whom he owes something, or restore their dues.
The reward (forgiveness) is mentioned in the past tense [in the original Arabic], even though the forgiveness will come in the future, in order to give the sense that it will certainly happen and will definitely take place, by the grace of Allah (may He be exalted) to His slaves.
This hadith urges us to fast the month of Ramadan, and highlights the great reward for doing that..

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Religion is easy, and no one commits himself to religious practices more than he can bear, but he will be overwhelmed (and unable to continue). So do your best and do not go to extremes, be of good cheer, and seek help in the morning and in the afternoon, and during part of the night.”.

Commentary : The religion of Islam is a religion of ease. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) urged us to persist in a moderate approach to doing righteous deeds and acts of worship, and limiting that to what one is able to do and is able to persist in doing regularly. Whoever commits himself to religious practices more than he can bear, and goes to extremes, will not be able to carry on, and this over-commitment will overwhelm him and defeat him.
In the beginning of the hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) sets out this important principle. He says “Religion is easy”, meaning that it is easy and straightforward in its beliefs, in the manners and attitudes that it promotes, in the righteous deeds that it enjoins and in the things that it prohibits and forbids. Then he advises us to be moderate and to do our best, encouraging us with words of glad tidings and urging us not to despair.
Being moderate is mentioned with regard to doing righteous deeds and in doing acts of worship, so that the individual does not fall short with regard to what he is enjoined to do, and he does not take on of such deeds more than he can bear, and thus he avoids going to extremes or becoming negligent. “Do your best” means: even if you cannot do it perfectly, then try your best to do what is close to that level. “Be of good cheer” means: have hope of reward, because you will be rewarded for your good deeds even if they are few.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells us about that which could help us to be moderate and do our best, as he said: “and seek help in the morning and in the afternoon, and during part of the night.” These are three times that are good for doing righteous deeds and acts of worship which help a person in his journey towards Allah. The morning is the beginning of the day, and the afternoon is the end of the day. The word translated here as night refers to travelling at the end of the night, which is something praiseworthy in the case of physical, worldly journeys and in one’s spiritual journey towards Allah through doing acts of worship and righteous deeds. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said “and during part of the night”; he did not say “at night”, so as to make it easier, because it is difficult to do deeds at night. The beginning of these words sound as if the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was speaking to a traveller who is trying to cover the distance to reach his destination. So he drew his attention to the times when he has the most energy, when his acts of worship and righteous deeds will produce the best results. Thus he likened man in this world to a traveller, and this is indeed how he is, because this world is a realm of travel and movement that leads to the hereafter, so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) pointed out to his ummah that they should strive to make the most of these times of opportunity and any periods of free time that they have.
This hadith motivates people who aspire to do righteous deeds and acts of worship, and gives them glad tidings of the reward that will result from their good deeds..

It was narrated from al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) first came to Madinah, he stayed with his paternal relatives – or his maternal uncles among the Ansar. He prayed facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis for sixteen months, or seventeen months, but he was always hoping that his qiblah would be changed to the Kaaba. The first prayer he prayed [facing towards the Kaaba] was ‘Asr prayer, and a number of people prayed with him. One of the men who had prayed with him went out, and passed by some people in a mosque who were bowing [in the posture of ruku‘], so he said: I bear witness by Allah that I have just prayed with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) facing towards Makkah. So they turned as they were [still in the posture of ruku‘] to face towards the Kaaba. The Jews and other People of the Book had liked it when he prayed facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis, so when he turned his face towards the Kaaba, they did not like that..

Commentary : Religious laws are based on revelation and what Allah (may He be glorified) has enjoined, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) followed that. If he found himself inclined towards something, he would not do it unless he was instructed to do it. In this hadith, al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came to Madinah, he stayed with Banu al-Najjar, because they were his maternal uncles, or his forefathers on the side of his father’s grandfather, Hashim ibn ‘Abd Manaf. In the beginning, when prayer was made obligatory, his qiblah [direction faced in the prayer] was Bayt al-Maqdis [Jerusalem], and he continued to face in that direction for sixteen or seventeen months, but he was hoping that his qiblah would be changed to the Kaaba. Allah (may He be glorified) mentions this feeling of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in the verse in which He says: {We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Muhammad], toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram} [al-Baqarah 2:144]. Thus He promised that He would turn his face towards the qiblah with which he would be pleased. The first prayer that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) prayed whilst facing towards the Kaaba was ‘Asr prayer; there is no difference of scholarly opinion concerning the fact that that happened in 2 AH. Some of his companions prayed with him, then one of the men who had prayed with him went out and passed by the people of another mosque. He found them praying, and they were bowing [in the posture of ruku‘], so he said to them: I swear by Allah that I have just prayed with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) facing towards the Kaaba in prayer. When they heard him, they believed him and they turned to face towards al-Masjid al-Haram without interrupting their prayer; rather they completed their prayer facing towards the Kaaba. Thus they offered one prayer in two directions: facing towards al-Masjid al-Aqsa [in Jerusalem] and facing towards al-Masjid al-Haram [in Makkah].
The Jews liked the fact that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to face towards Bayt al-Maqdis, because that was their qiblah. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) turned to face towards the Sacred House, they did not like that. Then Allah (may He be exalted) revealed concerning that the words: {The foolish among the people will say, ‘What has turned them away from their qiblah, which they used to face?’ Say, ‘To Allah belongs the east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a straight path’} [al-Baqarah 2:142], as is clearly stated in other reports.
Some of the Sahabah who had only prayed facing towards Bayt al-Maqdis had died or been killed before the qiblah was changed to the Sacred House. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was asked about them, then Allah revealed the words: {Allah would never let your faith go to waste} [al-Baqarah 2:143], referring to their prayers.
In this hadith, we see how quickly the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) responded to the commands of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) and His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It also indicates that it is prescribed to swear to something in order to confirm it, and that one should respond positively to the one who calls people to Allah and His Messenger..

It was narrated from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri that he heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saying: “If a person enters Islam and becomes a good Muslim, Allah will absolve every bad deed that he committed, then after that he will be treated fairly: a good deed will bring a tenfold reward, up to seven hundredfold, and a bad deed will be recorded as one, unless Allah pardons it.”.

Commentary : Entering Islam will save a person in this world and the hereafter, for Islam is the religion which affirms the oneness of Allah (may He be glorified) and does not associate anything with Him. It is the message that was brought by all the Messengers and Prophets.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) states that if a disbeliever enters Islam and becomes a good Muslim, and becomes a Muslim in the true sense of the word, with no trace of doubt, believing outwardly and inwardly, then Allah will absolve the bad deeds that he committed, meaning the sins, both minor and major, that he committed before he became Muslim, by His grace. Then after becoming Muslim he will be treated fairly and equitably, meaning that Allah will requite him appropriately for everything that he does, whether it is good or bad. So he will be requited for good deeds with reward, and for bad deeds with punishment. He will be rewarded tenfold for every good deed, and that reward may be multiplied up to seven hundredfold. As for bad deeds, each bad deed will be recorded as just one deed, and he will be requited accordingly. Or Allah may pardon him, by His grace, kindness and mercy, so He will not punish him for doing it.
This hadith indicates that Islam erases whatever sins came before it. .

It was narrated from ‘A’ishah that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) entered her apartment, when there was a woman with her. He said: “Who is this?” She said: So-and-so, and she spoke about how much she prayed. He said: “Stop! You should only do as much as you are able to, for by Allah, Allah does not grow weary until you grow weary.” The dearest of religious practice to him was that which a person does regularly and persists in it.

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Commentary : Religion is easy and not difficult. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught his ummah the proper way to adhere to religion and to practice it. He explained that the believer should do what he is able to do of worship, whilst encouraging people to be moderate in what they commit themselves to do, so that they will not grow weary or lose energy and momentum. In this hadith, the Mother of the Believers ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), narrates that the Prophet entered her apartment one day, when another woman was with her. When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) asked who she was, ‘A’ishah told him that this was So-and-so, mentioning her by name, then she said how much she prayed and did other acts of worship, praising her a great deal. But the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) rebuked her and said “Stop!” meaning: Stop praising her, for what she is doing is not deserving of praise, because it is contrary to the Sunnah. Proper adherence to religion means following the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and adhering to his Sunnah, not being harsh with oneself and exhausting oneself in doing a lot of acts of worship. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught us the right way and said: “You should only do as much as you are able to do”, so commit yourself to deeds that you are able to do regularly and persist in, and do as much as you are able to of fasting and praying at night; do not make it hard for yourselves.
With regard to the words “for by Allah, Allah does not grow weary until you grow weary”, some of the scholars said that this ascribes the attribute of weariness to Allah (may He be exalted) but the weariness of Allah is not like the weariness of people, because when a person grows weary it is an attribute of imperfection, as it indicates that he has become bored and tired of this thing. The weariness of Allah, on the other hand, is an attribute of perfection with no element of shortcoming in it, which is like all the other divine attributes that we affirm for Allah in a manner that is most perfect, even if in the case of people it is an attribute of imperfection. However, some of the scholars say that the phrase “Allah does not grow weary until you grow weary” serves to highlight the fact that no matter how much you do of righteous deeds, Allah will reward you for it, so do as much as you like, for Allah will never tire of rewarding you until you grow weary of striving in doing righteous deeds. Based on that, what is meant by weariness [in the case of Allah (may He be exalted)] is the outcome of that weariness [which is the cessation of reward when the person grows weary and stops doing the good deed he was doing]. And some of the scholars said that this hadith does not indicate that Allah becomes weary at all, because if someone says “I will not get up until you get up,” that does not imply that the other person will get up. By the same token, “He does not grow weary until you grow weary” does not imply that Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will grow weary.
‘A’ishah also said that the dearest of religious practice to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) – and according to another report in as-Sahihayn, it says “to Allah” – is that which one persists in and does regularly, even if it is small, as mentioned in the report of Muslim, because persisting in a small action is persisting in worship, dhikr, mindfulness of Allah, intention, sincerity and turning to the Creator (may He be glorified and exalted) and a small action that is done persistently will yield a much greater result than a great deed that is done and then stops.
This hadith highlights the Prophet’s compassion and kindness towards his ummah.
It also indicates that a small action that is done consistently is better than a greater action that is inconsistent..

It was narrated from Anas, that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There will be brought forth from the Fire everyone who says La ilaha illa Allah (none has the right to be worshipped except Allah) in whose heart there is goodness the weight of a grain of barley; and there will be brought forth from the Fire everyone who says La ilaha illa Allah (none has the right to be worshipped except Allah) in whose heart there is goodness the weight of a grain of wheat; and there will be brought forth from the Fire everyone who says La ilaha illa Allah (none has the right to be worshipped except Allah) in whose heart there is goodness the weight of an atom.” He [the narrator] said: Aban said: Qatadah told us: Anas told us, from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) “of faith,” instead of “goodness.”.

Commentary : Allah’s mercy towards His slaves is immense and without limit, and it cannot be fully described. On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will show great generosity to many of His slaves, and he will bring forth from the Fire anyone in whose heart is the smallest amount of goodness and faith.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells us that no one will remain forever in Hell who has in his heart an atom’s weight of faith. If the Muslim who sinned dies without having repented from his sin, it is up to Allah: if He wills, He will pardon him for it, and if He wills, He will punish him, but he will not remain forever in the Fire under any circumstances. Allah will bring forth from the Fire anyone who said La ilaha illa Allah and has in his heart as much as a grain of barley, or a grain of wheat, or even an atom’s weight of goodness, which means faith, as is explained in other reports. That is because goodness, in reality, is that which brings a person closer to Allah (may He be exalted), and that can be nothing other than faith. The word dharrah (translated here as atom) may refer to a small ant, or a speck of dust that may be seen floating in rays of sunlight, like the heads of needles. Barley is mentioned before wheat, because its grains are bigger in size, although they are very similar to one another, and the dharrah is mentioned last because it is so small. This is by way of explaining the issue by using the analogy of increasingly smaller likenesses.
This hadith indicates that merely saying La ilaha illa Allah, without there being any faith in the heart, will not benefit a person or bring him forth from the Fire.
It also clearly indicates how people may have different levels of faith, and that some of those believers who commit major sins may enter the Fire, but they will not abide therein forever..

It was narrated from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab that a Jewish man said to him: O Amir al-Mu’minin, there is a verse in your Book that you recite; if it had been revealed to us Jews, we would have taken that day as a festival. He said: Which verse is it? He said: {This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion} [al-Ma’idah 5:3]. ‘Umar said: We know that day, and the place in which it was revealed to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). [It was] when he was standing in ‘Arafah, on a Friday. .

Commentary : The Holy Qur’an is held sacred by all Muslims. The noble Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) were keen to learn everything having to do with it, such as the reasons for revelation, the story behind the revelation of verses, and when they were revealed, as well as learning all the rulings and meanings of the verses.
In this report, the Tabi‘i Tariq ibn Shihab narrates that a Jewish man – namely Ka‘b al-Ahbar, before he became Muslim, as is narrated in Tafsir al-Tabari and al-Awsat by al-Tabarani – came to the caliph ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): There is a verse in your Book that you recite; if it had been revealed to us Jews, we would have taken that day as a festival – that is, we would have made it a festival to celebrate, out of respect and honour for that day, and highlighting its virtue. ‘Umar said: Which verse is it? He said: {This day I have perfected for you your religion} [al-Ma’idah 5:3], that is, by causing it to be victorious and prevail over all other religions, {and completed My favor upon you} that is, by guiding you, helping you and perfecting the religion, and with the conquest of Makkah and the destruction of the beacons of jahiliyyah. This is a great verse, and the day when it was revealed is deserving of celebration.
‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: We know that day, and the place in which this verse was revealed, so you are not telling us of something of which we are unaware. It was revealed to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he was standing in ‘Arafah on a Friday, so it was a day on which two “festivals” were combined: the day of ‘Arafah, and Friday.
The words of Ka‘b al-Ahbar, “we would have taken that day as a festival” imply: and you have not taken it as a festival, as if he was trying to suggest that the verse was not true, because the Muslims had neglected the day on which it was revealed. So ‘Umar explained to him that they did indeed celebrate it on two counts, and they regarded it as a twofold festival.
This hadith indicates that festivals and days to be commemorated cannot be based on personal opinion and ideas, as the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) did before us. Rather they are to be based on religious texts and following the practice of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
It also indicates that faith may increase and decrease, as religious commitment may be perfected by perfecting and completing the deeds that it prescribes..

It was narrated that Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydillah said: A man from Najd came to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with dishevelled hair. The rise and fall of his voice could be heard, but his words could not be understood until he came close, and it turned out that he was asking about Islam. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Five prayers every day and night.” The man said: Is anything else required of me? He said: “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “And fasting Ramadan.” He said: Is anything else required of me? He said: “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” Then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned zakah, and the man said: If anything else required of me? He said: “No, unless you do it voluntarily.” Then the man turned away, saying: By Allah, I shall do no more than that and no less. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “He will succeed if he is telling the truth.”.

Commentary : Being assiduous in doing everything prescribed in Islam and carrying out its pillars in the proper manner, with sincerity, is the path to success and prosperity, and a means of salvation from the terrors of the Day of Resurrection.
In this hadith, Talhah ibn ‘Ubaydullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a man from Najd – which is a region of Arabia between the Hejaz and Iraq – came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). That man was Dimam ibn Tha‘labah; his hair was unkempt because of the rigours of travel, and he had a loud voice, but nothing he said could be understood until he drew close to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). It turned out that he was asking about the teachings of Islam, so the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) responded by explaining that the first duty of Islam that was required of him was the five prayers, which are to be offered every day and night. He said: Do I have to offer any prayers other than these five prayers? The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) replied: You do not have to offer any other prayers, unless you voluntarily do some of the regular Sunnah and other Sunnah prayers, which are encouraged (mustahabb) and you will be rewarded for doing them, but you will not be punished for not doing them.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told him that he had to fast Ramadan. Fasting means refraining, with the intention of worship, from food, drink, sexual activity and other things that break the fast, from the break of dawn until the sun sets. He said: Do I have to do anything else? He said: You do not have to do anything else, unless you do it voluntarily, fasting some days other than Ramadan, for they are encouraged and you will be rewarded for doing that. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told him about zakah, which is an obligatory, financial act of worship, to be given on every type of wealth that meets the minimum threshold, as defined in Islamic teachings, when one full lunar (or Hijri) year has passed since acquiring that wealth, giving one quarter of one tenth. One should also give zakah on an‘am animals [camels, cattle and sheep] and other livestock; zakah on crops, fruits, and trade goods; and zakah on rikaz, which is buried treasure that is brought out of the earth and, it was said, minerals and metals, on the basis of their nisab (minimum threshold), to be given at the time at which their zakah becomes due. Giving zakah in the proper manner to those who are entitled to it brings increased blessing (barakah) to wealth, and brings great reward in the hereafter, whereas being stingy and withholding it from those who are entitled to it brings bad consequences in this world and the hereafter, as has been explained in many texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Zakah is to be given to those who are entitled to it, who are mentioned in the verse: {Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler - an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise} [al-Tawbah 9:60].
The man asked: Do I have to do anything other than that? He said: No, unless you give something else in charity voluntarily, and you will be rewarded for that, but it is not obligatory and you will not be sinning if you do not do it. Then the man turned and left, swearing by Allah that he would not do any supererogatory (nafil) deeds in addition to these obligatory duties, and he would not omit any of them. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “He will succeed if he is speaking the truth.” In other words, if he means what he says, and he does these pillars [of Islam] sincerely for the sake of Allah (may He be exalted), then he will attain Paradise and be saved from the Fire, even if he does not do any supererogatory actions.
This hadith indicates that if a person limits himself to the obligatory religious duties, as prescribed in the religious texts, then he will succeed, but this does not mean that it is not prescribed for him to do some voluntary acts of worship, because the voluntary actions will complete the obligatory actions (and make up for any shortcomings in them) on the Day of Resurrection..

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever follows the bier of a Muslim, out of faith and in the hope of reward, and remains with it until the funeral prayer is offered and the burial is complete, will go back with two qirats of reward, each qirat like Uhud. Whoever offers the funeral prayer then goes back before the burial is done will go back with one qirat.”.

Commentary : Part of honouring a fellow Muslim and showing kindness to him is attending his funeral when he dies, following the bier and offering the funeral prayer for him. This brings an immense reward for the one who does that out of faith and seeking reward.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentions the immense reward to be attained by following the bier, and tells us that the one who follows the bier of a Muslim, out of faith and in the hope of reward – that is, believing in the promise of Allah and seeking reward from Him, doing that sincerely for the sake of Allah (may He be exalted) alone, and not seeking to be seen by people or doing it for any other purpose that is contrary to sincerity – and offers the funeral prayer for the deceased, and follows the bier until the burial is completed, will attain two qirats of reward, each qirat like Mount Uhud, which is the well-known mountain on the northern outskirts of Madinah, 4 or 5 km from the Prophet’s Mosque. It is 7 km long, 2 to 3 km wide, and 350 metres high. Attaining these two qirats is subject to three conditions: firstly, following the bier; secondly, offering the funeral prayer; thirdly, attending the burial. As for the one who only offers the funeral prayer and then goes back before the burial is done, he will attain only one qirat of reward.
This hadith encourages us to offer the funeral prayer for the deceased, follow his bier and attend his burial. It also highlights the immense grace and generosity of Allah, and how great is the reward that He grants for small deeds..

It was narrated that Zubayd said: I asked Abu Wa’il about the Murji’ah, and he said: ‘Abdullah told me that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Insulting a Muslim is an evil action and fighting him is disbelief (kufr).”.

Commentary : Islam urges us to respect people’s honour and lives, and it calls the Muslims to be brothers and have compassion for one another, and not to transgress against one another.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbids the Muslim to insult and revile his fellow Muslim, and explains that impugning his honour and shaming him is regarded as evildoing, and it is going against the command of Allah and His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) by doing what they have forbidden; according to Islamic teachings, it is worse than merely committing a sin. “And fighting him is disbelief (kufr)” – what is meant here is not disbelief in the sense that it puts one beyond the bounds of faith. Rather it is called disbelief (kufr) in order to emphasize the warning and deter the listener from doing that. Or it may be that it is likened to disbelief because this is the action of one who disbelieves. It may be understood as meaning disbelief in a real sense if the doer believes that it is permissible to do that.
In the original report narrated by al-Bukhari, the Tabi‘i Abu Wa’il Shaqiq ibn Salamah asked ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) about the Murji’ah – who were a group who said that if a person believed, it did not matter if he sinned, and they claimed that the one who committed major sin was not an evil doer. So Ibn Mas‘ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated this hadith, which affirms that sin is indeed harmful and affects the faith of the one who does it.
This hadith also indicates that some deeds may be described as disbelief (kufr), which implies that other deeds may be called faith (iman)..

It was narrated from ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out to tell the people when Laylat al-Qadr would be, but two of the Muslim men suddenly started arguing, so he said: “I came out to tell you when Laylat al-Qadr would be, but So-and-so and So-and-so started arguing, so it [knowledge of when Laylat al-Qadr would be] was taken away from me, and perhaps that is better for you, so seek it in seven and nine and five.”.

Commentary : Laylat al-Qadr in the month of Ramadan is of great significance and immense virtue, and we have been commanded to seek it and spend the night in prayer, out of faith and seeking reward with Allah (may He be glorified and exalted).
In this hadith, ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out one day to tell the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) about Laylat al-Qadr and precisely when it would occur, but he saw two men arguing and disputing, so he said: I came out to tell you about Laylat al-Qadr and which night it would be, but I saw two men arguing, so knowledge of its time was taken away. Thus they were deprived of the blessing of (the knowledge of) Laylat al-Qadr; otherwise Laylat al-Qadr will still remain until the Day of Resurrection. Then he said: Perhaps taking away the knowledge of when it will be and leaving its time ambiguous is better for you, so that you will strive hard in seeking it, and thus increase your reward. If it was known exactly when it would be, you might limit your hard work to that time, so you would make less effort and receive less reward. Then he said: So seek it – that is, look for it and strive hard – on the twenty ninth, the twenty seventh, and the twenty fifth of Ramadan. And it was said that what is meant is: look for it on the odd-numbered nights of Ramadan, when only nine days are left, or seven, or five, so Laylat al-Qadr may be on the twenty-first night, or the twenty-third, or the twenty-fifth, and so on. That is assuming that the month is complete (with thirty days), so if you take away nine, you get twenty-one. And it was said that what is meant by nine in the hadith is the night before the twenty-second, what is meant by seven is the night before the twenty-fourth, and so on. This is assuming that the month is complete (with thirty days). And it was said that it varies from one year to another.
This hadith also condemns arguing and disputing, because they are a cause of punishment for everyone for the sin of a few.
The hadith also indicates that sins may be a cause of some issues of religion that one needs to know being hidden from him, so the more people commit sins, the more likely it is that this will lead to some issues of religion becoming unknown to them. .

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) came out to the people one day, then Jibril came to him and said: What is faith (iman)? He said: “Faith is to believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, the meeting with Him, and His Messengers, and to believe in the resurrection.” Jibril said: What is Islam? He said: “Islam is to worship Allah, not associating anything with Him; to establish prayer; to give the obligatory zakah; and to fast Ramadan.” He said: What is ihsan? He said: “It is to worship Allah as if you see Him, for although you do not see Him, He sees you.” He said: When will the Hour be? He said: “The one who is asked about it does not know more than the one who is asking, but I shall tell you about its portents: when the slave woman gives birth to her mistress, and when the insignificant camel herders compete in building lofty structures. It is one of the five things that no one knows except Allah.” Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited the words: {Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour…} Luqman 31:34]. Then the man turned and left. [The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] said: “Bring him back,” but they did not see anything. Then he said: “That was Jibril, who came to teach the people their religion.”.

Commentary : This hadith discusses different religious duties and acts of worship, both outward and inward, including the tenets of faith, physical actions, sincerity in the heart, and caution regarding everything that could undermine righteous deeds. It covers the basic principles, important issues and foundations of faith, as Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained the meaning of faith, Islam and ihsan when Jibril (peace be upon him) came to him in the form of a man and asked him questions, when the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had come out among the people and was sitting with them. The bringer of the revelation, Jibril (peace be upon him), came to him and asked him about faith, in order to teach the people their religion. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: It means to believe in Allah, which means believing in and affirming His existence, and that He possesses all attributes of majesty and perfection, far above any shortcomings; and that He is One, true, the Eternal Refuge, unique, the Creator of all creation, Who does whatever He wills in His dominion, and decrees whatever He wills concerning His creation; that He alone is deserving of all kinds of worship, to the exclusion of all others.
Believing in His angels means believing in all the angels of Allah (may He be exalted): both those who have been mentioned by name – such as Jibril, Mika’il and Israfil – in whom we must believe in detail, and those who have not been mentioned by name, in whom we must believe in general terms.
Believing in His Books means affirming that all the Books that were sent down to the Prophets and Messengers, such as the Torah, Gospel and Qur’an, are the words of Allah and came from Him, and that what they contain – of that which has not been distorted – is true; that Allah sent down the Qur’an to determine what is true in those [previous] Books and to confirm them, and that it is protected from distortion.
Believing in the meeting with Allah means believing and affirming that people will stand before Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) for the reckoning and the requital of their deeds.
Believing in the Messengers of Allah means believing in and affirming all the Messengers of Allah, and believing that they spoke the truth in what they conveyed from Allah (may He be exalted), and that Allah supported them with miracles which proved that they spoke the truth; that they conveyed Allah’s message from Him and explained to people what He commanded them to explain; that we must respect them and not differentiate between them; and that we must believe that the last of them is our Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and that all of mankind are obliged to believe in him and follow him.
Believing in the resurrection means believing that Allah will resurrect those who are in their graves and will give life to the dead.
Then Jibril (peace be upon him) asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about Islam, and he replied: It means to worship Allah, not associating anything with Him, and obeying Him with submission, humility and love.
You should establish prayer, and establishing prayer is done by regularly offering the five daily prayers on time, with all their conditions, essential parts and obligatory actions.
You should give zakah, which is obligatory, and give it to those who are entitled to it. It is an obligatory, financial act of worship, to be given on every type of wealth that meets the minimum threshold, as defined in Islamic teachings, when one full lunar (or Hijri) year has passed since acquiring that wealth, giving one quarter of one tenth. One should also give zakah on an‘am animals [camels, cattle and sheep] and other livestock; zakah on crops, fruits, and trade goods; and zakah on rikaz, which is buried treasure that is brought out of the earth and, it was said, minerals and metals, on the basis of their nisab (minimum threshold), to be given at the time at which their zakah becomes due. Giving zakah in the proper manner to those who are entitled to it brings increased blessing (barakah) to wealth, and brings great reward in the hereafter, whereas being stingy and withholding it from those who are entitled to it brings bad consequences in this world and the hereafter.
And you should fast Ramadan. Fasting means refraining, with the intention of worship, from food, drink, sexual activity and other things that break the fast, from the break of dawn until the sun sets.
Then he asked him about ihsan, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) responded by saying: It means that you worship Allah like one who sees Allah (may He be exalted), and Allah sees him, so you do not omit any aspects of humility, submission, sincerity, and utmost alertness in controlling your thoughts and physical movements, paying attention to proper etiquette both outward and inward, so long as you are in a state of worship. The ultimate level of ihsan is for the believer to worship his Lord as if he sees Him in his heart, so he will constantly bear in mind the fact that he is in that state (as if seeing Allah in his heart). If he is not able to do that and it is too difficult for him, then he moves to a different level of ihsan, which is to worship Allah with the awareness that Allah sees him and knows what he conceals in his heart and what he does openly, for nothing he does is hidden from Him.
Then Jibril (peace be upon him) said: Tell me about the Hour, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: The one who is asked about it does not know more than the one who is asking. In other words, all of creation is the same with regard to knowledge of when the Hour will begin, for none of them have any knowledge of that in reality. This indicates that Allah (may He be exalted) alone has kept the knowledge of it to Himself, hence he said: It is one of the five things that no one knows except Allah, then he recited the verse: {Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour and sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul perceives in what land it will die} [Luqmaan 31:34]. These are the keys of the unseen, which no one knows except Allah.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: But I shall tell you about its portents. As it is not possible to know the time of the Hour, which he was asked about, he moved on to describing its portents, which are the signs that the Hour is close at hand. The first of its signs is that the slave woman will give birth to her mistress. What is meant is that there would be many conquests in the lands of the disbelievers, which would lead to the acquisition of slaves, so that a woman would be brought from the land of disbelief when she was young, and she would be freed in the Muslim lands, then her mother would be brought as a slave after her, then the daughter would buy her and employ her as a servant, not knowing that she was her mother. This indeed happened in the history of Islam. Or it may be that slave women would give birth to kings, so the king’s mother would be one of his subjects when he was her master and the master of others among his subjects, and in charge of their affairs. Or it may be that what is meant is that defiant disobedience towards parents would become widespread, to the extent that children would treat their mothers like slaves, by insulting them and humiliating them.
The second sign is that the insignificant camel herders will compete in building lofty structures. What is meant by insignificant is unknown herders and shepherds, or those who have nothing and are destitute. Competing in the building of lofty structures means that they will become rich and kings, ruling people.
What is mentioned in this hadith is only two of the minor portents of the Hour; there are many portents, many of which have already appeared.
After the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had answered these questions, the questioner went away. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed his companions to bring him back to him, but they could not see anything, either the man or his tracks. It was said that perhaps he said “bring him back to me” in order to alert the Sahabah and make them realize that this was an angel, not a human being. Hence he said to them, “That was Jibril, who came to teach the people their religion”, that is, the principles of their religion. He attributed the act of teaching to him, even though he just asked questions, because he was the cause of this teaching, so he attributed it to him, or because teaching was the aim behind his asking these questions, or because he wanted them to learn, as they did not ask. Or it may be that through Jibril’s questions to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in the presence of the Sahabah, he wanted to show them that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had a great deal of knowledge, and that his knowledge came through the revelation, so that they would become more eager to acquire knowledge and be more interested in it.
This hadith indicates that when the words Islam and faith (iman) are mentioned together, each of them has its own meaning, and when one of them is mentioned on its own, it includes the meaning of the other.
It also indicates that the angels may appear in human form, as referred to in the verse: {Then We sent to her Our Angel, and he represented himself to her as a well-proportioned man} [Maryam 19:17].
It also highlights the importance of sincerity and remembering that Allah is always watching.
And it indicates that if a knowledgeable person is asked about something he does not know, he should say, “I do not know”, and that does not detract from his status; rather it is indicative of his prudence, piety and abundant knowledge..

It was narrated that an-Nu‘man ibn Bashir said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saying: “That which is halal is clear and that which is haram is clear, and between them are doubtful matters which many people do not know. Whoever avoids the doubtful matters will have protected his faith and his honour, but whoever falls into the doubtful matters is like a shepherd who grazes his flock around a sanctuary: soon he will transgress upon it. Indeed, every king has a sanctuary and, indeed, the sanctuary of Allah on His earth is His sacred limits. Indeed, in the body there is a piece of flesh, which if it is sound, the entire body will be sound, and if it is corrupt, the entire body will be corrupt; indeed, it is the heart.”.

Commentary : This hadith is one of the hadiths which describes the central tenets of Islam. It is a very important hadith, and one of the principal foundations of Islamic teaching. It is an example of the concise speech of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as in it he urges the Muslims to err on the side of caution and avoid doubtful matters concerning which there is no clear reference in the religious texts. He explained that what is halal is clear and evident; it is everything for which there is no evidence that it is prohibited in the Qur’an, Sunnah, scholarly consensus (ijma‘) or analogy (qiyas), because the basic principle is that things are permissible [unless there is evidence to the contrary]. Similarly, what is haram is also clear and evident; it is everything for which there is evidence that it is prohibited, whether that evidence is from the Qur’an, the Sunnah or scholarly consensus. He stated that between what is halal and what is haram, there is a third category, which is doubtful matters. These are matters concerning which there is no clear ruling as to whether it is halal or haram, so many people are not able to know the ruling on these matters. This includes all doubtful and ambiguous matters, such as wealth from dubious sources, or wealth that is mixed with riba, or other kinds of unlawful wealth. As for cases when one is certain that this wealth has definitely been acquired through riba, then it is one hundred percent haram, beyond any shadow of a doubt, and it cannot be regarded as doubtful or dubious. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained that whoever avoids doubtful matters is erring on the side of caution, so his faith will be protected from falling short, and his honour will be protected from any aspersions, criticism or bad reputation. As for the one who falls into doubtful matters and has the audacity to accept them, he is exposing himself to danger, for he will soon fall into that which is haram, like a shepherd who grazes his flock around a sanctuary, which is the land that the king sets aside for his own flocks, and warns anyone who grazes his flocks there without his permission that he will face a severe punishment. If a shepherd grazes his sheep around the land that the king has set aside for himself and designated for his personal use, his flock may enter the sanctuary, in which case he will deserve the punishment of the ruler. By the same token, the one who is careless about doubtful matters is in danger, because those matters may be haram, and he may fall into them, or he may become careless about doubtful matters, and that leads to him becoming negligent and careless in general, so he begins to fall into haram matters deliberately. Falling into dubious matters may lead to falling into minor sins, and falling into minor sins may lead to falling into major sins. We ask Allah to keep us safe and sound.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Indeed, every king has a sanctuary and, indeed, the sanctuary of Allah on His earth is His sacred limits.” In other words, the sanctuary of Allah is the sins that He has prohibited to His slaves; whoever enters His sanctuary by committing any of those sins is doomed, and whoever comes close to it by doing doubtful things is in danger.
Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke a comprehensive word which explains what causes the sons of Adam to behave in a righteous or corrupt manner, which is that the basis of physical wellbeing has to do with the soundness or otherwise of the heart. If the heart is (spiritually) sound, then the person’s intentions will only seek what is right and proper, and all his physical faculties will be sound, and he will not be prompted to do anything except obey Allah and avoid His wrath. Thus he will be content with what is halal and have no need of what is haram. But if the heart is (spiritually) corrupt, then the person’s intentions will be corrupt, and all his physical faculties will be corrupt, and he will be prompted to disobey Allah (may He be glorified in exalted) and to do that which incurs His wrath. He will not be content with what is halal; rather he will hasten to seek that which is haram, in accordance with what his heart desires and the extent to which it drifts away from the truth..

It was narrated that Abu Jamrah said: I used to sit with Ibn ‘Abbas, who would invite me to sit next to him. He said: Stay with me so I can give you a share of my wealth. So I stayed with him for two months. Then he said: When the delegation of ‘Abdul Qays came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), he said: “Who are the people – or who are the delegation?” They said: [The tribe of] Rabi‘ah. He said: “Welcome to the people – or the delegation. You have nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to regret.” They said: O Messenger of Allah, we cannot come to you except in the sacred month, for between us and you there is this tribe of the disbelievers of Mudar. Tell us something clear that we can tell to those whom we left behind, by means of which we may enter Paradise. And they asked him about four kinds of drinks. He commanded them to do four things, and forbade to them four things. He commanded them to believe in Allah alone. He said: “Do you know what believing in Allah alone means?” They said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: “Testifying that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” [And he commanded them] to establish prayer, give zakâh and fast Ramadan, and to give one fifth of the war booty. And he forbade them to use four things: glazed pitchers, gourds, hollowed-out stumps, and varnished jars. And he said: “Memorize them [these rulings] and tell them to those you left behind.”.

Commentary : The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to teach the people all matters that would benefit them in their religious affairs, and in this world and the hereafter, so that they would be fully aware of them. In this hadith, the Tabi‘i Abu Jamrah says: I used to sit with Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), i.e., at the time when he was the governor of Basra during the caliphate of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) used to honour him and make him sit next to him. Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Stay with me so that you can help me to understand those who come to ask questions. That was because he used to translate for him and tell him what non-Arab petitioners wanted, and he would tell the petitioner what Ibn ‘Abbas said. So he stayed with him for two months, and he heard this hadith from Ibn ‘Abbas, in which he told the story of the arrival of the delegation of ‘Abdul Qays who came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). ‘Abdul Qays was the name of a tribe. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) asked them about their lineage, and they said: Rabi‘ah, referring to their ancestor. Rabi‘ah was the son of Nizar ibn Ma‘add ibn ‘Adnan. They mentioned Rabi‘ah because ‘Abdul Qays was one of his sons. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) welcomed them and said: Welcome to the people who have come with nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to regret. What is meant is that none of them delayed becoming Muslim out of stubbornness, so neither they nor their families were taken captive, or anything else of that nature, that could be a cause of shame or regret. This serves to highlight their honourable position, as they entered Islam willingly, without being subjected to any kind of humiliation.
They said to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): We can only come to you during the sacred month. They mentioned the word in the singular, but what is meant is all four sacred months, namely Rajab, Dhul Qa‘dah, Dhul Hijjah and Muharram. They were only able to come during these months, and not others, because the Arabs used to refrain from fighting during these months; the disbelievers of the tribes of Mudar lived between Rabi‘ah and Madinah, and the tribe of Rabi‘ah could not reach Madinah except by travelling through their land; they were afraid of them, except during the sacred months, because they refrained from fighting at that time. They asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to enjoin upon them something clear, by means of which they could distinguish what was true and what was false, so that they could tell their people in their homeland about it. So the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) enjoined them to do four things: he enjoined them to believe in Allah, and explained that that meant bearing witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. This twin declaration of faith (shahadatayn) must be uttered verbally, whilst acknowledging and believing it in the heart, acting in accordance with what these words imply, believing, affirming and testifying to the oneness of Allah (may He be exalted), and that none is rightfully worshipped except Allah; and acknowledging the message of Muhammad ibn ‘Abdillah and affirming that he is the last of the prophets and messengers, and that it is obligatory upon all people to follow him and believe in him.
Then he enjoined them to establish prayer, which means regularly offering the five daily prayers on time, with all their conditions, essential parts and obligatory actions.
Then he enjoined them to give zakah, which is an obligatory, financial act of worship, to be given on every type of wealth that meets the minimum threshold, as defined in Islamic teachings, when one full lunar (or Hijri) year has passed since acquiring that wealth, giving one quarter of one tenth. One should also give zakah on an‘am animals [camels, cattle and sheep] and other livestock; zakah on crops, fruits, and trade goods; and zakah on rikaz, which is buried treasure that is brought out of the earth and, it was said, minerals and metals, on the basis of their nisab (minimum threshold), to be given at the time at which their zakah becomes due. Giving zakah in the proper manner to those who are entitled to it brings increased blessing (barakah) to wealth, and brings great reward in the hereafter, whereas being stingy and withholding it from those who are entitled to it brings bad consequences in this world and the hereafter, as has been explained in many texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Zakah is to be given to those who are entitled to it, who are mentioned in the verse: {Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler - an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise} [al-Tawbah 9:60].
Then he enjoined them to fast Ramadan, which means refraining, with the intention of worship, from food, drink, sexual activity and other things that break the fast, from the break of dawn until the sun sets.
Then he added: You should give one-fifth of the war booty, because they were neighbours of the disbelievers of Mudar, and they were people who fought in jihad and captured booty. Booty refers to anything that the Muslims seized of the wealth and property of the disbelievers by means of prevailing over them and defeating them. They were to give one fifth (khums) to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as Allah explained in the verse: {Know that one-fifth of the booty (spoils of war) is for Allah, His Messenger, close relatives of the Messenger…} [al-Anfal 8:41], to be spent in the ways prescribed in the religious texts.
Some may be confused by the fact that the report says that he enjoined four things, but mentioned five. The response to that is that the first of the four things that are enjoined is the establishing of prayer. The twin declaration of faith was mentioned only for blessing (barakah). Or, it was suggested, that prayer and zakah were counted as one thing, because they are always mentioned together in the Book of Allah (may He be exalted), or because giving the one fifth is included in the general meaning of giving zakah, and what they have in common is that a specific amount of wealth is to be given in some cases but not in others.
Then he said: And he forbade four things. What is meant is that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade them to use four types of vessels for their food and drink. The first type was glazed pitchers, which were earthenware jars that were painted green or red, or glazed with vitreous material that was used to coat the earthenware jar to block all tiny holes. The second type was gourds, which are a type of squash. What was prohibited was using them as vessels after emptying them out and making them hollow. The third type was hollowed-out stumps, which refers to hollowing out the base of a palm tree so that it could be used as a vessel. The fourth type was varnished jars, which are jars that were coated with tar or pitch, which is made from a plant that is burned after it has dried out; similar substances were used for caulking ships and the like.
The prohibition on using these vessels in particular was because food and drink that were kept in them would soon start to change, and perhaps people might drink from them without realizing that a change had occurred. Then after that, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) granted a concession allowing people to use all kinds of vessels, whilst prohibiting drinking anything that caused intoxication, as was narrated in Sahih Muslim: “I used to forbid you to soak [dried dates and the like] in water skins, but now soak [such things] in all kinds of vessels, but do not drink anything that causes intoxication.”
Then at the end of the hadith the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) advised the members of the delegation to memorize these words of his, and convey them to those whom the delegation of ‘Abdul Qays had left behind.
This hadith tells us that people of virtue and prominent figures may be sent to meet leaders when there are important matters to be discussed.
It shows that an apology or explanation may be given before raising an issue.
It highlights the main issues and pillars of Islam, apart from Hajj.
It indicates that righteous actions may be called faith.
It indicates that a knowledgeable person may honour a prominent figure.
It shows that a knowledgeable person may seek help from his companions in explaining something to those who are present, and to understand their questions.
It indicates that the knowledgeable person should urge the people to convey knowledge and spread awareness of Islamic rulings.
It indicates that there is no shame in the seeker of knowledge or the one who is requesting a fatwa asking the knowledgeable person to explain his answer further. .

It was narrated from ‘Umar that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Actions are but by intentions, and each person will have what he intended. So whoever migrated for the sake of Allah and His Messenger, his migration was for the sake of Allah and His Messenger, and whoever migrated to achieve some worldly gain or to marry a woman, then his migration was for the purpose for which he migrated.”.

Commentary : This important hadith represents one of the main principles and foundations of Islamic teaching, to the extent that it was said concerning it that it constitutes one third of knowledge. In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Actions are but by intentions,” so no prescribed act of worship is valid without being preceded by the intention. “And each person will have what he intended,” so all the Muslim will get from his actions is what he intended thereby. This ruling is general in meaning and applies to all actions, whether they are acts of worship, interactions with others or ordinary actions. Whoever intends by his actions to attain some worldly benefit will gain nothing but that worldly benefit, even if it was an act of worship, and thus he will not attain any reward thereby. Whoever intended by his action to draw closer to Allah (may He be exalted) and to seek His pleasure will attain reward through his deed, even if it was an ordinary action, such as eating or drinking. Then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gave some practical examples to explain the impact of intentions on actions. Hence he stated that whoever intended by migrating to obey the command of his Lord, seek His pleasure, and flee for the sake of his faith from persecution, his migration was a kind of hijrah that is prescribed in Islamic teachings and will be accepted by Allah (may He be exalted), and he will be rewarded for it because of his sincere intention. However, the one who migrated in pursuit of some worldly gain or personal objective, such as wealth, trade, or marriage to a beautiful woman, “then his migration was for the purpose for which he migrated,” and he will not attain anything from his migration except that worldly benefit that he intended, and he will not attain any reward for that..

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Abu al-Aswad reported: Abu Mūsa al-Ash'ari sent for the reciters of the people of Basra. Three hundred men who had recited the Qur'an came to him. He said: "You are the best among the people of Basra and their reciters. So, recite it. And let not hope of a long life delude you, and thus your hearts would harden as the hearts of those before you had hardened. We used to recite a Surah, which we would liken to Barā‘ah in terms of length and toughness, and I was made to forget it. However, I memorized from it: "If the son of Adam had two valleys of wealth, he would seek a third valley, and nothing would fill the inside of the son of Adam except dust". We used to recite a Surah, which we would liken to one of the Musabbihāt, and I was made to forget it. However, I memorized from it: "O you who believe, why do you say what you do not do?" This will be written as a testimony on your necks, and you will be asked about it on the Day of Judgment..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to direct his Companions and advise them to refrain from keenness on worldly life and hope for an extended stay in it. And the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did the same with the Tābi'is.
In this tradition, Abu al-Aswad ad-Dīli informs that Abu Mūsa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) sent for the reciters among the people of Basra to come to him and gather there. Basra is a city located in the south of Iraq. "Three hundred men, who had recited the Qur'an" and memorized it "came to him." He advised and directed them, saying: You are the best among the people of Basra and you are the people of the Qur’an among them. Then, he instructed them to read the Qur’an and recite it in the most proper manner, which entails understanding its meanings, reflecting upon its verses, and acting upon its rulings. And he said to them: "And let not hope of a long life delude you and thus your hearts would harden," i.e., do not have high hopes for worldly life and do not wish to stay therein for long, as this corrupts the hearts by dragging them to greed and hardness, and thus they will not soften to Dhikr or derive benefit from admonition or rebuke. As a result, you will have such hardness and aversion within your hearts that had befallen the nations before you due to their hopes for an extended stay in the life of this world. This includes a reference to the verse that reads: {Has the time not yet come for those who believe that their hearts should be humbled at the remembrance of Allah and the truth that has been revealed? They should not be like those who were given the Scriptures before, whose hearts grew hard after the passage after a long period of time, and many of them were evildoers.} [Surat al-Hadīd: 16]
Then, he informed that they used to recite a long Surah of the Qur’an, whose recitation was abrogated, and they would liken it to Surat Barā’ah, which is Surat at-Tawbah, in terms of length and toughness. He further said that he was made to forget it. Then, Abu Mūsa (may Allah be pleased with him) made an exception and informed that he memorized from the meanings of this Surah such words that contain dispraise of attention on worldly life and the love and desire for having a lot of it. He said: "If the son of Adam had two valleys of wealth, he would seek a third valley." A valley is any gap between mountains or hills. "and nothing would fill the inside of the son of Adam except dust", i.e., he continues to be keen on worldly life till he dies, and his inside gets filled with the dust of his grave. The inside may also be intended to refer to the heart, and the meaning is that he does not get bored of the love for wealth. This is because man is naturally inclined to love wealth and has an unquenchable greed for it, and he has no limit to stop except a matter like his own, namely dust.
Then, Abu Mūsa (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that they used to recite a Surah which they would liken to one of the Musabbihāt, which are the Surahs that begin with "subhān, sabbaha, yusabbihu, sabbih ism rabbika" (glory be to, glorified, glorifies, glorify the name of your Lord), and that he was made to forget it; and he memorized from it: "O you who believe, why do you say what you do not do?" This is a question that signifies disapproval and rebuke for those who attribute to themselves good things that they do not do, either in relation to the past, in which case they would be liars, or concerning the future, and this would be a contradiction; both are dispraised. "This will be written as a testimony on your necks and you will be asked about this on the Day of Judgment" i.e., these false statements will be recorded against you, for what you said and did not do is a testimony from you, and you are liable for it, and you will be held accountable, and it will entail an evil recompense on the Day of Judgment.
This abrogation, which Abu Mūsa (may Allah be pleased with him) told about in this Hadīth, is one of the abrogation types: the abrogation of words and recitation. Abrogation is of three types: First: Abrogation of rulings, while words and recitation endure. Second: Its opposite; and that is the abrogation of words and recitation, while the ruling endures. Third: Abrogation of the ruling along with the words and recitation. This is the abrogation which Allah Almighty mentions in the verse that reads: {We do not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 106] And also in the verses that read: {We will teach you [the Qur’an], so you will not forget*, except what Allah wills.} [Surat al-A‘la: 6-7] These two Surahs are among the Surahs Allah Almighty willed to be forgotten after He revealed them. This is because Allah Almighty does whatever He wills and is Able to do all things He wishes. Indeed, this is all possible. Let not one wrongly assume, because of this and the like of it, that any part of the Qur’an was lost. In fact, this is untrue, as established by the verse that reads: {It is We Who have sent down the Reminder, and it is We Who will preserve it.} [Surat al-Hijr: 9] This is also established by the consensus among the Companions and those after them that the Qur’an, which we are required to recite and act upon its rulings as a form of worship, is the text contained between the two covers of the Mus'haf, without addition or omission.
The Hadīth shows keenness to present advice to the Muslim reciters.
It contains dispraise of the keenness on worldly life and the hope for a long stay therein.
It includes dispraise of lying and bragging about something one did not do.
The Hadīth also mentions that a person's speech is recorded and he will be asked about it on the Day of Judgment.
And it indicates that a believer should be chiefly concerned about working for the Hereafter and he should not be deceived by worldly life and its desires..

1054

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās reported that: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Successful is the one who accepts Islam and is provided with mere subsistence and Allah makes him content with what He has given him.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to admonish his Companions, advise them, and encourage them to aim at sublime matters, so that the worldly life would be in their hands, not in their hearts, and what they gained thereof would help them in acts of worship.
This Hadīth contains guidance from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to his Ummah that a person should not tire himself in seeking more than mere subsistence, for what is commendable in sustenance is the amount that enables a person to perform worship and for which he should work as much as needed. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that success is attained and gained by a person who embraces Islam rightly, for he gets rid of Kufr (disbelief) and Shirk (polytheism), which is the sin that Allah does not forgive, and he is provided with mere subsistence, no more or less, and what makes him self-sufficient and saves him from necessities and wants. This means lawful sustenance, for no success comes with unlawful sustenance. And his words: "and Allah makes him content with what He has given him," i.e., Allah grants him contentment with the mere subsistence he has; so, he does not aspire to pursue more than that.
The Hadīth shows that success and triumph are attained by embracing Islam for the sake of Allah and being pleased with what Allah gives him.
It demonstrates the merit of contentment, and that it is one of the means of success..

1056

‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) distributed some wealth, and I said: "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, there are other than those more deserving of it than them?" He said: "They gave me the choice that they either ask of me importunately or regard me as a miser, and I am not a miser.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was the most generous and bountiful among the people. He would give like one who fears no poverty. This was to teach his Ummah and serve certain Shar‘i purposes that were probably not known or grasped at the time by anyone other than him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
In this Hadīth, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) says The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) distributed some wealth among the people, and he gave some people, whereas ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) held that others were more deserving of being given than them. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) clarified to him why he gave to them and not those who were more deserving to be given than them. This is because those he gave were people of ignorance and lying. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that they begged in an importunate manner due to their weak faith and drove him, by their very importunate attitude, to either give them what they asked for or they would describe him as a miser and defame him, while in fact, he is not a miser. Hence, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave to them and protected his honor by his giving, lest they might lie about him. Miserliness is not part of his character (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and he gave to them to appease them and win their friendliness. Similarly, he said in a Hadīth of the Two Sahīh Collections: "Indeed, the worst people in rank in the sight of Allah is the one whom people leave or abandon for fear of his discourteousness." Thus, he endured their rudeness and treated them forbearingly to win their friendliness and protect himself from being described as a miser, a trait that does not befit him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
The Hadīth indicates that we can appease the people of ignorance and harshness and win their friendliness, if this achieves a good interest.
It also shows that patience and forbearance were part of the Prophet's character.
The Hadīth demonstrates and directs a person to spend out of his money to protect his honor and himself from the people of ignorance..

1060

Rāfi‘ ibn Khadīj reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave to Abu Sufyān ibn Harb, Safwān ibn Umayyah, ‘Uyaynah ibn Hisn, and Al-Aqra‘ ibn Hābis, to every one of them, one hundred camels, and gave to ‘Abbās ibn Mirdās less than that. Thereupon, ‘Abbās ibn Mirdās said: You allot the share of my booty and that of Al-‘Ubayd between ‘Uyaynah and Al-Aqra‘ Both Badr and Hābis in no way surpassed Mirdās in the assembly I am in no way inferior to any one of these two. And he whom you lower today will not be elevated He said: So, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) completed one hundred camels for him. [And in a version]: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) divided the spoils of the battle of Hunayn and gave Abu Sufyān ibn Harb one hundred camels... And he narrated the same Hadīth, with the addition: And he gave ‘Alqamah ibn ‘Ulāthah one hundred. [And in a version]: He did not mention poetry..

Commentary : This Hadīth reveals a part of how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to win people's hearts to Islam by giving them money, each according to the strength of Īmān in his heart or his tenderness, and how he was considerate of the circumstances of each one of them.
The circumstances surrounding this Hadīth: After the battle of Hunayn, which took place in the eighth Hijri year between the Muslims and the two tribes of Hawāzin and Thaqīf, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) divided the spoils he seized from this battle between the Muslims, preferring some of them over others. He gave some of them a hundred camels and others less than that. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave a hundred camels to Abu Sufyān ibn Harb, the Quraysh leader, Safwān ibn' Umayyah, who had embraced Islam after the Conquest of Makkah and was one of the Quraysh notables during Jāhiliyyah and Islam, 'Uyaynah ibn Hisn al-Fazāri, who had embraced Islam before the Conquest of Makkah and was marked by the typical roughness of desert dwellers, and Al-Aqra' ibn Hābis at-Tamīmi, who had come to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and partook in the Conquest of Makkah, and he was an arbitrator during Jāhiliyyah; he gave each one of these persons a hundred camels. On the other hand, he gave ‘Abbās ibn Mirdās less than a hundred. So, ‘Abbās ibn Mirdās became angry and said these poetic verses: "You allot the share of my booty and that of Al-‘Ubayd between ‘Uyaynah and Al-Aqra‘" Booty: the spoils. Al-‘Ubayd: the name of the horse of ‘Abbās ibn Mirdās. The meaning: Do you give the booty which I took part in seizing from Hunayn with my weapon and horse to ‘Uyaynah ibn Hisn and Al-Aqra‘ ibn Hābis and the like of them, by giving them more than me?! By his words "Both Badr and Hābis", he meant the grandfather of ‘Uyaynah and the father of Al-Aqra‘. ‘Uyaynah is the son of Hisn ibn Hudhayfah ibn Badr, and Al-Aqra‘ is the son of Hābis. And his words: "in no way surpassed Mirdās in the assembly". Surpass means: is higher than. Assembly: the meeting place of the clans and tribes. "I am in no way inferior to any one of these two" The meaning: My father was not inferior to theirs, neither am I inferior to them. He seemed to have been gripped with fear that his status might be lowered. Therefore, he said: "And he whom you lower today" by decreasing his share of the booty "will not be elevated", i.e., the people will not elevate him after this day.
So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave him a hundred camels like the others who were given a hundred, so as to win his heart and dispel the thought of inferiority or that he might be lower in rank than others.
The Hadīth shows how the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would win the hearts of some people with money for an apparent interest.
The ruler may prefer some over others if he sees a certain benefit in doing so.
It is permissible to recite poetry and is permissible to listen to it..

1064

Abu Sa‘īd reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned a people who would be among his Ummah, who would emerge out of the dissension of people. Their distinctive mark would be shaven heads. He said: "They would be the worst creatures - or among the worst creatures. The nearer of the two groups, the truth would kill them." The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gave an example of them, or he said: "A man throws an arrow at the prey - Or he said: at the target - and looks at the arrowhead and finds no trace, and he looks at the body and finds no trace. Then, he looks at the grip and finds no trace." He said: Abu Sa‘īd said: "And you killed them, O people of Iraq.".

1066

Zayd ibn Wahb al-Juhani reported that he was in the army led by ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that set out to fight the Kharijites. ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O people, I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'There would arise within my Ummah a people who would recite the Qur’an, and your recitation would be nothing compared to their recitation, your prayer would be nothing compared to their prayer, and your fast would be nothing compared to their fast. They would recite the Qur’an thinking that it supports them, whereas it is against them. Their prayer does not get beyond their collarbones. They would pass through Islam as an arrow passes through the prey. If the army that is to encounter them were to know what had been decreed for them by the tongue of their Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), they would completely rely upon that and cease to work. The sign of this is that there would be among them a man with an upper arm and without an arm, and the head of his upper arm would be like the nipple of the breast on which there would be some white hairs.' So, will you go to Mu‘āwiyah and the people of the Levant and leave them behind among your children and your property?! By Allah, I hope they are those people, for they have shed inviolable blood and raided the animals of the people. So, go forth in the name of Allah." Salamah ibn Kuhayl said: Zayd ibn Wahb made me alight at a place, till we crossed a bridge. When we encountered them - and ‘Abdullāh ibn Wahb ar-Rāsibi was the leader of the Kharijites on that day - he said to them: "Throw the spears and draw out your swords from their sheaths, for I fear that they would appeal to you as they appealed to you on the day of Harūrā'." They went back and threw their spears and drew out their swords, and people fought against them with their spears and they were killed on top of one another. Only two men were killed from among the people on that day. Then, ‘Ali (Allah be pleased with him) said: "Search for the Mukhdaj (the maimed one) among them." They searched but did not find him. So, ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) himself stood up till he came upon people who had been killed on top of one another. He said: "Move them away from one another." So, they found him near the ground. Thereupon, he proclaimed Takbīr and then said: "Allah told the truth, and His Messenger conveyed it." He said: Then, ‘Abīdah as-Salmāni stood before him and said: "O Commander of the Believers, by Allah, other than Whom there is no god, did you hear this Hadīth from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)?" He said: "Yes, by Allah, other than Whom there is no god." He repeated the request for an oath from him three times, and he swore each time..

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) warned us against religious innovations and extremism, for it leads to the corruption of societies. Extremism, along with the lack of proper understanding of the religion, may result in considering the Muslim communities as people of religious innovations and Kufr (disbelief) and lead to revolt against the rulers unjustly.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Zayd ibn Wahb al-Juhani relates that he was with ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) in the army that marched toward the Kharijites. This happened in 38 A.H., in the battle of Nahrawān, located nearly 35km southeast of Baghdad, Iraq. They were those who criticized ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) for the arbitration over his fighting against Mu‘āwiyah (may Allah be pleased with him), and they fought him and declared the Muslims as disbelievers and regarded the shedding of their blood as lawful. ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) addressed his army to make them firm and urge them to fight and display patience in doing so. He informed that he heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) point out some traits of the Kharijites, mentioning that they would be a people within the Muslim Ummah, and they would "recite the Qur'an," i.e., recite it a lot. They would also perform prayer and observe fast often, to the extent that if people compared their condition to the condition of others, they would regard the worship of others as nothing next to them. "They would recite the Qur'an thinking that it supports them", i.e., it provides an argument for them in proving their claims, whereas this is not the case in reality; instead, it serves as an argument against them with Allah Almighty. In the Two Sahīh Collections, in a Hadīth reported by Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him): "It does not get beyond their collarbones." Likewise, their prayer does not get beyond their collarbones. Prayer here probably refers to the recitation in prayer. The collarbone is the bone that extends from the neck cavity to the shoulder. They do not understand the Qur’an, draw benefit from its recitation, ponder its verses, or reflect upon its meanings. So, they do not reach their hearts through reflection and Khushū‘ (humility and focus) and do not ascend to heaven. Therefore, they obtain no reward for them. "They would pass through" i.e., they would depart from Islam quickly and not get attached to anything in it, just as an arrow passes through prey, i.e., like a powerful and fast arrow that penetrates the target and passes through prey, due to its power and speed, entering from one side and coming out from the opposite one; and it leaves no trace of blood or flesh. Then, they would not go back to the religion, as the arrow does not go back to its place in the bow.
Then, ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) states that if the army that would kill and defeat them were to know the reward and recompense that their Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed them about and determined for them, they would abandon work and solely rely upon this glad tiding which was given to them for killing the Kharijites.
The distinctive mark of those Kharijites is "that there would be among them a man with an upper arm", which extends from the shoulder to the elbow, "and without an arm", which extends from the elbow to the hand. And the head of his upper arm would be like "the nipple of the breast", and there would also be some white hairs on the top of his upper arm.
Then, ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) expressed criticism of the army in the form of questioning: Do you want to go to Mu‘āwiyah and the people of the Levant and fight them and leave those Kharijites behind to stay among your women and children and loot your property?! The meaning: This is not proper and should not happen. By this, he intended to urge them to fight the Kharijites first before marching toward Mu‘āwiyah and the people of the Levant.
Then, ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) swore, saying: "By Allah, I hope they are those people" who are amongst us, revolted against us, and departed from obedience to us, "the people" whom the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) described to us. Indeed, they went to extremes in shedding the blood of Muslims, and it is blood whose shedding is forbidden. They killed 'Abdullāh ibn Khabbāb and the mother of his child. "and they raided the animals of the people", i.e., they raided people's property and stole their grazing livestock. Then, ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "So, go forth in the name of Allah", i.e., with the blessing of the name of Allah, seek help from Him and put your trust in Him. This indicates that actions should begin with the mention of Allah.
Salamah ibn Kuhayl al-Hadrami al-Kūfi - one of the Hadīth narrators - informs that the Tābi‘i Zayd ibn Wahb mentioned to him the locations of their travel to fight the Kharijites, one by one, until they reached the bridge at which the fighting took place - the bridge of Dizjān. This is also mentioned in As-Sunan Al-Kubra Collection of An-Nasā’i. A bridge is a structure built over water for crossing on it. This is the bridge of Nahrawān, where the Kharijites gathered.
Zayd ibn Wahb related that when the two armies encountered each other for fighting, the leader of the Kharijites on that day was ‘Abdullāh ibn Wahb ar-Rāsibi, who said to the Kharijites: Throw the spears and draw out your swords from their sheaths. He wanted the two armies to start fighting. Thus, there would be no possible alternative to fighting, such as a truce or appeal, which means that they would ask and adjure them by Allah, and this might cause some of his companions to leave him, and, as a result, his army would become weaker. Confrontation with spears puts the two armies at a distance from each other, and this carries the possibility that some of them may feel pity upon seeing the blood and call for the cessation of fighting. On the other hand, fighting with the swords breaks out quickly and ends with defeating one of the two armies. Ibn Wahb hoped that he would be victorious in this battle. "as they appealed to you on the day of Harūrā’." This is a village near Kufa, after which a sect of the Khrijites was named, as their first gathering took place there, "the day" here refers to the day in which the Kharijites gathered, numbering eight thousand - and a different number was also mentioned - and they alighted at Harūrā’. Their leaders were ‘Abdullāh ibn al-Kawwā’ al-Yashkuri and Shabath at-Tamīmi. ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) sent his cousin ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) to them. He debated with them, and as a result, many of them came back with him. Then, ‘Ali went out to them, appealed to them, and engaged in a discussion with them. Consequently, they obeyed him and entered Kufa along with him.
When the Kharijites listened to ‘Abdullāh ibn Wahb, they obeyed him and "threw their spears" i.e. they threw them away and engaged in fighting against the army of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) with swords. So, this opinion led to victory for the Muslims and ‘Ali's army, the preservation of their blood, and their empowerment. "and people fought against them with their spears" i.e., the companions of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) stabbed them with their spears like trees. The Arabic text uses a verb derived from 'shajar', which means trees. So, the companions of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) threw the spears at them before they could reach them. Then, they engaged in battle with them and killed so many of them; only two men were killed on the side of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him). His words "they were killed on top of one another" mean that they were piled upon one another due to the large number of them who were killed, forming heaps.
Then, after the end of the battle, ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) ordered them to search for "the Mukhdaj" man, i.e., his body is incomplete. This is the man described at the beginning of the Hadīth. They searched for him but could not find him. So, 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) himself rose and moved to a heap of dead bodies from the Kharijites. He ordered that they be separated from one another, and they found underneath them the man he was looking for dead. Thereupon, 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) proclaimed Takbīr in wonder at seeing the Mukhdaj man with the description given by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Then, he said after the Takbīr: "Allah", Exalted be He, "told the truth" in what He revealed to His Prophet; "and His Messenger conveyed" His message to us and to the people, in truth.
Then, Zayd ibn Wahb al-Juhani informed that the Tābi‘i ‘Abīdah as-Salmāni called out to ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): "O Commander of the Believers", and he adjured him by Allah, other than Whom there is no god, to tell him whether he heard this Hadīth from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). In response, ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) swore, saying: "Yes, by Allah, other than Whom there is no god" i.e., yes, I heard it from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). "He repeated the request for an oath from him three times". He asked him to swear to let this be heard by the people present and affirm that to them, and in order to reveal to them the miracle informed by the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and show them that ‘Ali and his Companions are the worthier among the two groups in claiming the truth, and that they are rightful in fighting them.
The Hadīth points to the danger of ignorance in religion and dogmatic thinking.
It mentions the great reward of killing the Kharijites.
It warns against extremism in religion and affectation in worship.
Those who revolt against the just rulers should be fought against.
The Hadīth mentions some traits of the Kharijites.
It shows the merit of ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him).
An oath may be requested for verifying something unfamiliar, so as to affirm it to those who hear about it..

1067

Abu Dharr reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Verily, there is from my Ummah after me - or there would be from my Ummah after me - a people who would recite the Qur’an, but it would not go beyond their throats, and they would pass through the religion as an arrow passes through the prey, and then they would not come back to it; they are the worst among the creation and the creatures.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed the Companions about many of the trials that took place during their generation and that would take place after their generation. One of the trials they witnessed during their time was the trial of the Kharijites.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made reference to that. He mentioned people who would be in his Ummah after him; among their characteristics is that they "would recite the Qur'an, but it would not go beyond their throats." They recite the Qur'an but do not get affected by it, understand it, or act upon its verses. So, they will not be recompensed for that by rewards, and their recitation does not go beyond their tongues, so no good deed is accepted from them. This is not something required; instead, it is required to ponder and reflect upon the Qur'an as it influences the heart. This all means that Imān (faith) did not settle firmly in their hearts. "they would pass through the religion as an arrow passes through the prey, and then they would not come back to it", i.e., they come out of the religion like the coming out of a fast arrow, which hits the prey and enters and comes out of it with a high speed, without any trace of the prey sticking to it; this is due to its quick coming out of the target. The "ramiyyah" (prey) is the animal that is hunted and hit with an arrow after getting chased. This is a description of the Kharijites, who do not obey the rulers and revolt against them and declare people as disbelievers on account of major sins that are below Shirk (polytheism) and Kufr (disbelief). They kill the people of Islam and leave the people of idols (disbelievers). After all that, they do not return to the religion again, as they do not repent or reconsider their matter. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) remarked: "They are the worst among the creation and the creatures." It is said: "Khalq" (creation) refers to humankind, and "khaliqah" (creatures) refers to animals. It is also said: They both have the same meaning. So, this refers to all creation. They are the worst among all creation because they fight the best people, thus corrupting the land after it was in good condition.
The Hadīth includes one of the Prophet's prophecies, as he told about something that would happen after his death, and it did happen as he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed.
It warns against misunderstanding the Qur’an and not pondering its verses, goals, and objectives; and it points out that this causes corruption on earth.
It also indicates that one of the consequences of poor reflection upon the verses of Allah is to depart from the religion..

1068

Sahl ibn Hanīf reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A people will go astray toward the east, with shaven heads.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was keen on teaching his Ummah and warning them against trials. A true Muslim ponders the Prophet's statements and teachings and tries his best to save himself and his Muslim community from falling into misleading trials.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that there will emerge a group of people who will deviate from the true and correct path and go astray in the darkness of religious innovations and misguidance. They will never be guided to the truth; they will be lost and follow the wrong paths. They will emerge from the east, which refers to the direction of the sunrise. Those people who go astray from the true path are described as having shaven heads, which indicates their abandonment and renouncement of worldly life. The intended meaning is that shaving their heads was a habit that they persistently engaged in and for which they were known. This trait was mentioned with regard to the Kharijites, that they are marked by shaving their heads, until it became a slogan for them, by which they were identified.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) warns his Ummah in this Hadīth against the trial of going astray in misguidance and tells us about the signs of deviation.
One of the signs of deviation and misguidance is leading a life of false asceticism..

1072

‘Abdul-Muttalib ibn Rabī‘ah ibn al-Hārith reported: Rabī‘ah ibn al-Hārith and Al-‘Abbās ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib got together and said: "By Allah, if we sent these two young men - I and Al-Fadl ibn al-‘Abbās - to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and they spoke to him, he would put them in charge of these Zakah funds, and they would pay as the people pay and get a share as the people get." He said: As they were talking about that, 'Ali ibn Abi Tālib came and stood before them, and they mentioned it to him. Thereupon, ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib said: "Do not do this, for, by Allah, he would not do that." Rabī‘ah ibn al-Hārith turned to him and said: "By Allah, you are only doing this out of jealousy toward us. By Allah, you became the son-in-law of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), but we felt no jealousy toward you." 'Ali said: "Send them." So, they set out, and 'Ali lay on the bed. He said: When the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offered the Zhuhr prayer, we went ahead of him to his room and stood near it till he came, took hold of our ears, and then said: "Take out what you keep within yourselves." Then, he entered, and we entered his place. He was on that day in the house of Zaynab bint Jahsh. He said: We urged each of us to speak. Then, one of us spoke, saying: "O Messenger of Allah, you are the most righteous and the best of people in upholding kinship ties. We have reached the marriageable age. We have come so that you may put us in charge of some of these Zakah funds, and we would submit them to you as the people submit and get a share as they get." He said: He kept silent for a long time until we wished to speak with him. He said: Zaynab pointed to us from behind the curtain, telling us not to talk to him. He said: Then, he said: "Zakah does not befit the family of Muhammad, for it is the impurities of people. Call Mahmiyah to me - and he was in charge of the Khums funds - and Nawfal ibn al-Hārith ibn' Abdul-Muttalib." They both came to him, and he said to Mahmiyah: "Marry your daughter to this young man", i.e., Al-Fadl ibn' Abbās. He married her to him. And he said to Nawfal ibn al-Hārith: "Marry your daughter to this young man", i.e., me. He married her to me. And he said to Mahmiyah: "Pay such and such from the Khums funds as a dowry on behalf of both of them.".

Commentary : Allah Almighty honored His Prophet and the believing members of his household and purified them of all filth and impurities. An example is that Zakah is forbidden for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his household. They may not take from it or accept it.
In this Hadīth, ‘Abdul-Muttalib ibn Rabī‘ah ibn al-Hārith (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that Rabī‘ah ibn al-Hārith, the Prophet's cousin, met with his uncle Al-‘Abbās ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib, the Prophet's uncle, and they said: By Allah, if we sent these two young men - meaning: 'Abdul-Muttalib ibn Rabī‘ah and Al-Fadl ibn' Abbās (may Allah be pleased with them) - to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and they talked to him, and he appointed them as Zakah collectors, and they would submit as the people submit and get a share like the people, as a wage for the Zakah work. They wanted this money to help them get married, as they reached the marriageable age and could not afford marriage, as narrated in the version by Abu Dāwūd. As Al-‘Abbās and Rabī‘ah (may Allah be pleased with both of them) were talking and discussing this matter, ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him), also a cousin of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), came and stood before them. They mentioned to him what they were discussing and told him about what they intended to do. So, ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) forbade them from doing that and swore that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would not agree to their request in this regard. Thereupon, Rabī‘ah turned to ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to him tough words and swore that he did not forbid them from sending the two young men and asking the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to put them in charge of Zakah funds except because of jealousy toward them and his desire to be the only one among them with closeness to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Then, he swore by Allah to ‘Ali that he won the relationship with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) by marriage - meaning his marriage to his daughter Fātimah (may Allah be pleased with her) - and they felt no jealousy toward him because of that. When ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) heard that from him, he asked them to send them so that they could be certain about his advice to them. "and ‘Ali lay on the bed." In another version by Muslim: "'Ali threw his cloak and lay on it, and he said: I am the father of Hasan, and I am the Qarm (chief). By Allah, I would not move from my place till your sons return to you with the reply to that for which you sent them to the Messenger of Allah the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)." Qarm: the stud among animals. It refers to a master and chief who possesses knowledge and wise judgment. He (may Allah be pleased with him) meant: I spoke what I said to you from knowledge, and I would not move from my place, and I would wait for the reply they would come with from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He knew that the reply would be as he told them.
So, ‘Abdul-Muttalib and Al-Fadl (may Allah be pleased with both of them) left and headed to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). 'Abdul-Muttalib (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) performed the Zhuhr prayer, they went ahead of him to the room he would enter after the prayer, and that was the room of the Mother of the Believers Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her). They waited for him at the door till the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came, took hold of their ears by way of jesting, and then said: "Take out what you keep within yourselves" i.e., the talk you harbor within your chests. Then, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) entered his room, and they entered after him so as to proceed with their talk and let him hear them. Each of them wanted the other to start the talk with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in awe of him. Then, one of them talked. He said to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "O Messenger of Allah, you are the most benevolent of all people", i.e., the best among people in benevolence and doing good to others. "and the best of people in upholding kinship ties" i.e., you are most keen on maintaining the ties of kinship. "We have reached the marriageable age." Thus, they presented the reason for their following requests. "We have come so that you may put us in charge of" collecting "some of these Zakah funds", which are to be calculated and taken from money owners and kept and given to you and distributed to the due recipients. "and we would submit to you as the people submit" i.e., we would transfer the Zakah funds and hand them over to you like others. "and get a share as they get" as a wage for the Zakah work. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent for so long that they wanted to repeat their speech and request. Meanwhile, Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her) began to point to them with her garment or hand from behind the curtain to not talk to him. After his long silence, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) made clear to them that Zakah may not be given to the household of Muhammad, i.e., it is forbidden for him and his family, whether it is given for work or because of poverty, destitution, or some other reason. "for it is the impurities of people", i.e., it purifies their wealth from the sin of hoarding and their souls from the sin of stinginess. Or it is the impurities of people because it expiates for sins, removes afflictions, and acts as a ransom for the person in this regard. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered them to call Mahmiyah ibn Jaz’ ibn ‘Abd Yaghūt az-Zubaydi (may Allah be pleased with him) to him. He was a man from Banu Asad, and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had put him in charge of the Khums (one-fifth of the spoils), and to call Nawfal ibn al-Hārith ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib, the brother of Rabī‘ah ibn al-Hārith. Mahmiyah and Nawfal came and appeared before the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered Mahmiyah ibn Jaz' to marry his daughter to Al-Fadl ibn' Abbās, which Mahmiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) did. And he ordered Nawfal ibn al-Hārith to marry his daughter to Rabī‘ah ibn al-Hārith. Both of them (may Allah be pleased with both of them) complied. Mahmiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) was in charge of the Prophet's expenses from the Khums. So, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to pay an amount which he specified for him as a dowry on behalf of each of them to his wife. The Khums refers to the share of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in the spoils, as revealed in the verse that reads: {Know that whatever spoils you obtain, one-fifth belongs to Allah and the Messenger, his close relatives, the orphans, the needy and the [stranded] travelers.} [Surat al-Anfāl: 41]
The Hadīth indicates that Zakah funds are to be paid to the ruler and the authority holder.
It shows the Prophet's modesty and cheerfulness and how he would jest with and show compassion toward the young.
Words of praise may be said before asking for something.
The Hadīth mentions that it is forbidden to give Zakah to the household of Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
It indicates that the Prophet's household were not employed for the collection of charity and Zakah.
It also shows that a person should seek to obtain the wherewithal for marriage.
It demonstrates a father's interest in helping his son get married to maintain his chastity.
The Hadīth also points out the merit of ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), as he was more knowledgeable about this matter than those Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).
And it shows the extreme politeness of Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) as she pointed to the two young men not to repeat the speech to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)..

1087

Kurayb reported: that ’Umm al-Fadl sent him to Mu‘āwiyah in the Levant. He said: I came to the Levant and fulfilled her errand. Then, the crescent of Ramadan was sighted while I was in the Levant. I saw the crescent on the night of Friday. Then, I came to Madīnah at the end of the month. ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) asked me about the sighting of the moon and said: "When did you see the crescent?" I said: "We saw it on the night of Friday." He said: "Did you see it yourself?" I said: "Yes, and the people saw it and fasted and so did Mu‘āwiyah." He said: "But we saw it on the night of Saturday; so, we will continue fasting until we have completed thirty days, or we see it." I said: "Will you not be content with the sighting of Mu‘āwiyah and his fasting?" He said: "No, this is what the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) enjoined upon us." Yahya ibn Yahya was doubtful about whether it is "Will we not be content?" or "Will you not be content?".

Commentary : Allah made crescents a means for counting months and years. By sighting the crescent, one month begins and another ends. Based on this sighting, many obligations are determined, like fasting and Hajj.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Kurayb ibn Abi Muslim says that ’Umm al-Fadl Lubābah bint al-Hārith, the wife of Al-‘Abbās ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib and the mother of ‘Abdullāh ibn al-‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with them), sent him to Mu‘āwiyah ibn Abi Sufyān (may Allah be pleased with him), who was then the caliph of Muslims. Kurayb went to the Levant and finished her errand. Then, the crescent of the month of Ramadan appeared while he was in the Levant. The crescent was sighted on the night of Friday. There are over 1,120km between the Levant and Madīnah, the center of the caliphate during the era of Mu‘āwiyah ibn Abi Sufyān, from which the state was run, and which was followed by all the Muslim provinces.
Then, Kurayb said that he went back to Madīnah once again at the end of the month of Ramadan. ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) asked him about the journey and the fulfillment of his mother's errand. Then, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned the crescent and asked him: When did you see the crescent in the Levant? Kurayb told him that they saw it on the night of Friday. Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) further asked: "Did you see it" with your own eyes? In response, Kurayb said: Yes, and the people also saw it, and they fasted and so did Mu‘āwiyah (may Allah be pleased with him). Thereupon, Ibn ‘Abbās said: "But we saw it on the night of Saturday," i.e., one night after it was sighted in the Levant. Therefore, we will continue to fast until we complete the thirty days of the month or see the crescent before that with the month being 29 days. This results from the different sightings of crescents from different places. So, Kurayb asked Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him): Will you - or he said: will we - not be content with the sighting by the people of the Levant of the crescent of Ramadan at its beginning, and with them is Caliph Mu‘āwiyah ibn Abi Sufyān (may Allah be pleased with him)? Thus, you fast with their fasting at the start of the month and break your fast with their break of the fast. In reply, Ibn ‘Abbās said: 'No' i.e., we are not content with their sighting. Rather, we observe the fast or complete the month according to our sighting. He probably said that given the great distance between Hejaz and the Levant which allows for different crescent sightings. Also, news could not reach Madīnah from the Levant on the same night. Hence, they comply with the Prophet's command to observe the fast and break the fast based on sighting the crescent. In a Hadīth narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Fast when you see it and break your fast when you see it, and if the weather is cloudy, complete it as thirty." This does not exclusively pertain to the people of a certain region; rather, it is addressed to all Muslims.
The Hadīth indicates that we must rely on sighting the crescents to know the beginnings and ends of the lunar months.
It also points out that the people of each region should fast based on their sighting of the crescent..

1088

Abu al-Bakhtari reported: We saw the crescent of Ramadan while we were at Dhāt ‘Irq. So, we sent a man to Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) to ask him about that. In response, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah has deferred it till it is seen, but if the weather is cloudy, then complete the period.".

Commentary : Allah made crescents a means for counting months and years. By sighting the crescent, one month begins and another ends. Based on this sighting, many obligations are determined, like fasting and Hajj.
In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Abu al-Bakhtari Sa‘īd ibn Fayrūz at-Tā’i informs that they saw the crescent of Ramadan one day while they were at a place called Dhāt ‘Irq. This is the locational Miqāt of the pilgrims of the people of Iraq. It lies 42 miles (100km) to the northeast of Makkah. They sent a man to ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) to ask him about the crescent of Ramadan and the related rulings, especially if the weather is too cloudy for the people to see it. Thereupon, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah has deferred it till it is seen," i.e., indeed, Allah extended the period of sighting the crescent till the people could see it. If it is not possible to see it until the end of the twenty-ninth day of the month, and you cannot see it for one reason or another, like the clouds being in the way, you should observe the complete period of the month of Sha'bān as thirty days. This also applies to all Hijri lunar months. This does not exclusively pertain to the people of a certain region; rather, it is addressed to all Muslims.
The Hadīth indicates that we should ask the people of knowledge about obscure and confusing matters.
It also points out that we should leave doubt to certainty when the crescent is hidden by completing the month as thirty days..

1094

Samurah ibn Jundub reported: I heard Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Do not be misled with regard to your Suhūr by the Adhān of Bilāl or the whiteness of the horizon that grows long in this way until it spreads this way.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) defined the time in which a fasting person should refrain from eating during the month of Ramadan; that is the time of "al-Fajr as-Sādiq" (the true dawn). He pointed out that a Muslim may eat and drink till the Adhān of the real dawn.
In its meaning, this Hadīth is linked to other versions which demonstrate that there were two Adhāns for Fajr during the Prophet's lifetime: The first Adhān was proclaimed by Bilāl ibn Rabāh (may Allah be pleased with him). This is the one about which the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not be misled with regard to your Suhūr by the Adhān of Bilāl or the whiteness of the horizon that grows long in this way." This teaches the Muslims that they may eat and drink when they hear the Adhān of Bilāl, for it was only intended to give notice that the time of Fajr was approaching. The Adhān of Bilāl was proclaimed at the time when the whiteness of the horizon grows long in the sky. And it was meant to make the sleeping person wake up and alert the one standing in prayer. It was followed by the second Adhān, which was proclaimed by Ibn ’Umm Maktūm. Upon hearing it, the people would abstain from food and drink and start fasting.
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) directed the people to the sign of the true dawn. He commanded them to eat and drink till "it spreads this way" i.e., until dawn appears extended on the horizon..

1096

‘Amr ibn al-‘Ās reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The difference between our fasting and the fasting of the People of the Book is the Suhūr (pre-dawn) meal.".

Commentary : The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to urge and enjoin the Muslims to have the Suhūr meal, given the blessing it contains for the fasting person.
In this Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says: "The difference between our fasting and the fasting of the People of the Book is the Suhūr (pre-dawn) meal," i.e., the Suhūr meal - for he who wants to observe fasting, obligatory, or supererogatory - differentiates between the nature of our fasting and the fasting of the People of the Book - the Jews and the Christians. This is because Allah made permissible for us some of what He has prohibited for them. So, our difference from them in this regard represents gratitude for this favor. They do not have a Suhūr meal, while we are enjoined to have it. The best time for this meal is the time of Sahar, which comes shortly before the rise of the true dawn.
This meal is stressed because at this time most people will probably be sleeping, and sleep and its enjoyment may overcome and distract them from the significance of this meal. Then, as a result of abandoning this meal, they will be weakened in undertaking their activities during the daytime.
The Hadīth urges us to have the Suhūr meal.
It shows the Prophet's keenness on being distinguished and different from the People of the Book in the acts of worship common between us and them..

1099

‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: Sometimes I missed some fasts of Ramadan and I would not be able to make up for them except in Sha‘bān; due to being busy with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), or because of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). [And in a version]: That is because of the status of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). [And in a version]: Being busy with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is not mentioned in the Hadīth..

Commentary : The Shariah urges and encourages us to use the dispensations, particularly if they entail something that may lead to a certain harm or hardship.
In this Hadīth, ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: "Sometimes I missed some fasts of Ramadan," i.e., days of fasting in Ramadan were due upon me, for I did not fast them due to things that happen to women, like menstruation, illness, etc. "and I would not be able to make up for them except in Sha‘bān," i.e., she could not make up for these days throughout the year except in Sha‘bān. "due to being busy with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), or because of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)." She used to keep herself prepared and ready for his affairs (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and for pleasing him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) at all times. This shows her extreme politeness and love for him (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and it indicates the great rights of the husband upon one's wife.
The Hadīth indicates the legitimacy of delaying the fast of Ramadan until the next Sha‘bān.
It also demonstrates the flexibility provided in the acts of worship and religious obligations.
The Hadīth also shows the significance of the rights of the husband and being busy with obeying him and tending to his affairs..

1104

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: As the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was performing prayer during Ramadan, I came and stood by his side. Then, another man came and stood likewise till we became a group. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) perceived that we were behind him, he lightened the prayer. Then, he went to his abode and performed such a prayer that he would not perform with us. In the morning, we asked him, "Did you perceive us during the night?" He said: "Yes, it was this that prompted me to do what I did." He said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) began to observe Wisāl (continuous Qiyām and fasting) at the end of the month, and some men among his Companions began to observe Wisāl. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "What about those men who observe Wisāl?! You are not like me. By Allah, if the month were lengthened for me, I would observe Wisāl in a way that would make those who act with exaggeration abandon their exaggeration!".

Commentary : Acts of worship must be performed exactly as the Shariah prescribed them. We were commanded to fear Allah as much as we can, without overburdening ourselves or adopting a strict approach in religion, for people differ in terms of their abilities and capacities, and lest people become bored of worship and the religious injunctions.
In this Hadīth, Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) informs the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) once performed a supererogatory prayer in Ramadan during a night in the mosque. Meanwhile, he came and stood on his right side, praying with him. Then, another man came and also stood to pray with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Then, people continued to come and pray behind the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) till they became "Raht" (a group), which is less than ten persons or more, up to forty men. When the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) perceived they were praying behind him, he began to lighten the prayer to facilitate the matter and make it easy for them. This contrasts with his usual performance of Qiyām al-Layl when he prayed alone. After he made Taslīm ending the prayer, he entered "his abode" i.e., his house, where he performed a long prayer the like of which he did not perform with him. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that in the morning after that night, they said to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "Did you perceive us?" i.e., did you feel our presence during that night when we prayed behind you? He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Yes' i.e., I perceived you praying behind me. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to them: "it was this that prompted me to do what I did", i.e., it was what you did as you prayed behind me that drove me to lighten the prayer, go to my house and pray there, and refrain from coming out to you, lest it may be made obligatory for you. Indeed, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is the most lenient and merciful among people toward his Ummah.
Then, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) told that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) began to observe Wisāl, performing Qiyām all night long and observing fast day and night without breaking it. This Wisāl was at the end of the month of Ramadan. So, some men among his Companions began to observe Wisāl and act like him, thinking that the Prophet's prohibition was meant for discouraging, not unlawfulness. As a result, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got angry and disapproved of them, as Wisāl was not prescribed for the Ummah. Rather, it is one of his peculiar traits (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Therefore, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to them: "What about those men who observe Wisāl" of fasting?! "You are not like me", i.e., in this matter, you are not like me. Rather, you are required to do what is easier for you. It is authentically reported in the Two Sahīh Collections that he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would spend the night with his Lord so Allah would provide him with food and drink. This stems from the Prophet's complete compassion and mercy toward his Ummah and his fear that they might get bored of worship and fall short of some tasks of the religion. Then, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) swore to them: "By Allah, if the month were lengthened for me" i.e., if the days of the month of Ramadan increased, as they sighted the crescent one or two days after their observance of Wisāl, according to a Hadīth narrated in the Two Sahīh Collections and reported by Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him). "I would observe Wisāl," i.e., he would continue this Wisāl of his, "in a way that would make those who act with exaggeration", those who overburden themselves, adopt a strict approach, and oblige themselves to do things that were not prescribed for them, "abandon their exaggeration." i.e., so that they would abandon it because of tiredness and hardship, and thus they would themselves be sure of the leniency of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) toward them when he prohibited them from Wisāl. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would indeed increase Wisāl for them to deter and punish them for their lack of compliance with his command (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
The Hadīth points out the Prophet's leniency toward his Ummah and that he would not burden them with things beyond their capacity.
It warns of exaggeration in the acts of worship.
And it warns against overburdening oneself with supererogatory acts of worship..

Book of Hadith

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